Ranille Drummond

Owner/Director

Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ranille began dancing at the age of 13 at one of the most recognized dance schools in Rio, Escola de Dança Petite Danse. She trained at a professional Ballet program from 1998-2004 and later earned her Bachelor’s degree in Ballet and Contemporary Dance in 2006.

Ranille discovered her passion for teaching very early in her career; after moving to Fort Worth in 2008, she had the privilege of teaching at the best schools in the Metroplex, such as Texas Ballet Theater and the Art Ballet Academy.

In 2018, Ranille opened the very first Rejoice Dance Studio Camp with the support of her friends and family. Her desire is to use dance as a tool to share the good news of the Gospel and to bring joy, health, and beauty to our community.  In her free time, Ranille loves to read, cook, play games, and watch movies with her family.

Our Team

Mary Elizabeth McArthur

Operations Manager

Soon after seeing her first ballet performance, Mary Elizabeth began dancing at the age of three at Ballet Abilene under the direction of Nancy Gore. She was accepted into the studio’s performing company, Abilene Ballet Theatre, at age twelve; over the next decade, she performed in numerous roles, including Dewdrop Fairy, Snow Queen, Coffee, and Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, and the Fairy Godmother role in Cinderella, in addition to dancing in choreography by Raymond Van Mason and Fort Worth’s own Chung Lin Tseng. While pursuing her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Mary Elizabeth taught and choreographed for students aged three to adult. Mary Elizabeth now works as an operations manager at Rejoice Dance Studio and enjoys reading, baking, and traveling with her family.

Josie Baldree

Instructor

Originally from Michigan, Josie began her dance training at the Flint School of Performing Arts under the direction of Karen Mills Jennings.  She came to Texas in 2002 to attend Texas Christian University as a Nordan Fine Arts Scholar.  She performed featured roles in works by Fernando Bujones, Jin-Wen-Yu, and Elizabeth Gillaspy.
In 2006, she graduated with a BFA in Ballet and Modern dance.  For the past 15 years, Josie has taught at numerous dance studios, including Texas Ballet Theater, and served as TBT’s Summer Intensive Coordinator and CityDance Outreach instructor.  Most recently, she has completed the prestigious Boston Ballet Adaptive Dance Teacher Training.
Josie enjoys raising three boys with her husband, Scott, and is thrilled to be a part of Rejoice Dance Studio.

Lindsay Briggs

Instructor
Lindsay began dancing at the age of 3 at Taylor Dance Studio in Southeast Texas, where she continued her training for 15 years. She then began teaching dance while attending college and beyond. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, her passion for health and wellness led her to the fitness industry, where she traded her ballet shoes for sneakers and taught group fitness dance classes for 13 years. While she loves teaching adults to enjoy dance and move their bodies in a healthy way, she is so excited to be back in the studio and in her ballet shoes, helping the next generation develop a love for dance that she still has today. She has loved being a part of the Rejoice family, as it is a place where students are able to learn the art of dance in a Christ-centered environment. In her free time, Lindsay loves to spend fun and quality time with her family and enjoys a good hike.

JENNA SMITH

Instructor

Jenna began her dance journey after being selected for her school’s dance/drill team in 7th grade. She continued performing with school dance teams through high school and was a member of the Trinity Valley Community College Cardette Drill Team and Pom Squad while pursuing her undergraduate studies. After graduating from Texas Woman’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Education, she went on to teach high school dance classes and coach drill teams. She currently teaches Pre-K Music and Movement classes at Christ Chapel and choreographs for special performances and events for the church. Jenna is married to Robert, and together they have three beautiful children; in her spare time, she enjoys making custom hair bows and jewelry, crafting, and spending time with her family.

Reida Dobi

Instructor
Reida started dancing in Tirana, Albania and was accepted into the prestigious Academy of Classic Dance at age 10, where she later began her teaching career instructing aspiring ballerinas in the art of variations and partnering. She joined the Tirana State Opera and Ballet in 1990, earning soloist, principal, and prima ballerina status in quick succession. She toured much of Europe while performing with the company for the next eight years. Reida was invited to the United States in 1998 by the Carnegie Hall International Ballet Dance Center in New York City, eventually beginning full-time dance instruction in the US. In 2015, she joined Fort Worth’s own Texas Ballet Theater and currently teaches Vaganova-style technique, variation, pointe, and floor barre classes at TBT. She is also an acclaimed guest instructor at workshops and festivals around the country. Reida is excited to rejoin Rejoice Dance Studio for another season of teaching adult ballet classes!

Jenna Glueck

Instructor
Originating from Wichita Falls, TX, Jenna is currently a ballet instructor with various schools in the DFW metroplex. She began training at age four at her home studio of Wichita Falls Youth Ballet and Wichita Falls Ballet Theatre, and later trained with Texas Ballet Theater, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Kansas City Ballet School. She later danced professionally with Ballet North Texas under Nicolina Lawson. Here she performed many soloist and principal roles from ballets including Les Sylphides, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, as well as various contemporary pieces set on the company. While dancing professionally, Jenna began teaching with North Texas Conservatory in June 2019. Since moving back to Fort Worth, Jenna has been pursuing teaching full time and continues to share the joy of ballet with students of all ages.